Post structure for a partition system



Oct. 10, 1967 J. BUSSCHER POST STRUCTURE FOR A PARTITION SYSTEM 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 11, 1965 Oct. 10, 1967 J, BUSSCHER 3,345,787

POST STRUCTURE FOR A PARTITION SYSTEM Filed March 11, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IIVVE/VTOR. JUST/N BUSSCHER United StatesPatent O 3,345,787 POST STRUCTURE FOR A PARTITION SYSTEM Justin Busscher, 435 N. Division, Holland, Mich. 49423 Filed Mar. 11, 1965, Ser. No. 438,956 2 Claims. (Cl. 52242) This invention relates to the construction of partitions usually forming semi-permanent walls to define rooms and floor areas in offices and factories. These partition systems are ordinarily designed for ease of installation with a minimum involvement of the primary building structure. Frequent necessity for re-arrangement also makes it imperative that the partition system be demountable, and as nearly completely salvageagle as possible. A number of partitions systems have been devised around these design criteria.

Most of these systems provide some form of rail to be secured to the ceiling and to the floor, with these vertically spaced rails'forming a means of positioning a series of vertical panels providing a wall surface. The juncture of these panels is usually backed by a vertical post. The present invention provides a post structure having a remarkable ease of installation, and also having the ability to accommodate considerable variation in the distance between floor and ceiling. The latter feature eleminates many manufacturing problems. Portions of this post are in telescoping relationship, and one of these portions is constructed to provide a conduit passage in the very simple manner. The preferred form of the post assembly is laterally self-locating on the rails.

The several features of the invention will be analyzed in further detail through a discussion of the particular embodiment illustrated in the accompanying drawings. In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a partition installa tion in the fully-installed condition.

FIGURE 2 is a sectional elevation of an enlarged scale over that of FIGURE 1, showing the completelyassembled partition.

FIGURE 3 is a view showing a preliminary stage in the erection of the partition structure, and showing the post telescoped to a shortened condition for engagement of the connecting member with the lower rail.

FIGURE 4 is a perspective View on an enlarged scale showing the juncture of the post structure with the lower rail.

FIGURE 5 is a section on plane 55 of FIGURE 4.

The partition structure shown in FIGURE 1 is based upon the series of panels indicated at 10, 11, and 12 extending substantially over the distance between the floor 13 and the ceiling 14. The juncture between these panels is normally concealed and ornamented by strips as shown at 15 and 16, and is backed by a post structure generally indicated in FIGURE 2 at 17. The upper rail 18 is provided with the channels 19 and 20 for receiving the upper edges of the panels a and 10b, respectively, and with the central portion 21 interconnecting these channels. A part 22 of this central portion 21 is tapered as shown to facilitate the engagement of the panels 10a and 10b. Preferably, the rail 18 is secured to the ceiling 14 by screws or other fastenings as shown at 23 and 24.

The lower rail 25 is generally similar in cross-section to the upper rail 18, except for the provision of somewhat wider channels 26 and 27 adapted to receive the portions 28 and 29 of the floor moldings 30 and 31, respectively,

in addition to the panels 10a and 10b. The central portion 32 of the lower rail 25 is also preferably tapered as shown, so that the tapered portions '32 and 33 are disposed relatively adjacent to each other.

The post-structure 17 includes the elongated vertical (and preferably tubular) member 34 provided with outturned flanges 35 normally secured to the central portion 22 of the upper rail with sheet-metal screws, or with some other conventional fastening arrangement. The formation of the upper extremity of the post 34 as shown facilitates the manufacture of this tube as a rolled cross-section which is directly cut off to the desired length. The flanges 35 are then formed from the material at the end, resulting in some degree of lateral inter-engagement of the end of the post with the central portion 22.

The lower end of the post receives the connecting member 36 in telescoping relationship. The preferred form of the member 34 is shown in cross-section in FIGURE 5, and this cross-section is such as may be developed readily by standard techniques of rolling sheet material. The rounded portions 37-38 and 39-40 provide spaced guide-ways for receiving the portions 41 and 42 of the connecting member'36. In the preferred form of this member, portions of sheet metal of similar configuration are brought together to form the transverse panels 43 V and 44, which are interconnected by any standard technique such as spot-Welding. The opposite sections containing the portions 41-43 and 42-44, respectively, are bent as shown to provide the saddle portions 45 and 46, which are secured to the central portion 33 by screws as shown at 47 and 48. These saddle portions 45 and 46 embrace the tapered central portion 33 without interferring with the panels 10a and 10b, and provide a convenient arrangement for laterally positioning the post-structure with respect to the lower rail 25. On the installation of the poststructure (prior to the installation of the panels 10a and 10b) the connecting member 36 is telescoped upwardly into the member 34 so that the saddles 45 and 46 can clear the central portion 33 as shown in FIGURE 3. The length of the members 34 are established with respect to the distance between floor 13 and ceiling 14 to provide this relationship. The provision of the openings 49 and 50 in the central portions 43 and 44 of the connecting member is intended to accommodate conduits and any other items that have to be extended within the wall structure. The width of the panels 43 and 44 is preferably established to extend somewhat between the succeeding panels 10-11 and 11-12 as shown in FIGURE 2, to establish the position of these panels along the partition structure. The application of the strips 15 and 16 is made after the panels are assembled as shown in FIGURE 2.

The particular embodiments of the present invention which have been illustrated and discussed herein are for illustrative purposes only and are not to be considered as a limitation upon the scope of the appended claims. In these claims, it is my intent to claim the entire invention disclosed herein, except as I am limited by the prior art.

I claim:

1. In combination with a partition structure including upper and lower rails normally secured to a ceiling and floor, respectively, in predetermined spaced relationship, said rails each having an axial ridge tapering to reduce width and interposed between spaced panel-receiving channels, a post assembly normally interconnecting said rails and comprising:

an elongated normally vertical member; means normally securing said connecting member to means normally securing one extremity of said elonsaid other rail.

gated member to one of said rails; 2. A combination as defined in claim, 1 wherein said a connecting member axially slidably engaging the optransverse panel has an opening therein.

posite extremity of said member, said elongated mem- 5 her having spaced guideways receiving portions of References Cited said connecting member, said connecting member UNITED STATES PATENTS including opposite sections each having a saddle portion, a transverse panel, and a portion engaging one 1,998,688 4/ 1935 Robinson 52241 of said spaced guideways, said sections being inter- 10 2,260,777 11/1941 Goldsmith S229O connected at said transverse panels, said saddle por- 3,033,330 5/ 1962 Fowles 52-241 X tions being engageable exclusively with the tapering 3,180,457 4/ 1965 Bohnsack 52--24l X ridge of the other of said rails to center said connecting member between said channels; and HN E. MURTAGH, Primary Examiner. 

1. IN COMBINATION WITH A PARTITION STRUCTURE INCLUDING UPPER AND LOWER RAILS NORMALLY SECURED TO A CEILING AND FLOOR, RESPECTIVELY, IN PREDETERMINED SPACED RELATIONSHIP, SAID RAILS EACH HAVING AN AXIAL RIDGE TAPERING TO REDUCE WIDTH AND INTERPOSED BETWEEN SPACED PANEL-RECEIVING CHANNELS, A POST ASSEMBLY NORMALLY INTERCONNECTING SAID RAILS AND COMPRISING: AN ELONGATED NORMALLY VERTICAL MEMBER; MEANS NORMALLY SECURING ONE EXTREMITY OF SAID ELONGATED MEMBER TO ONE OF SAID REALS; A CONNECTING MEMBER AXIALLY SLIDABLY ENGAGING THE OPPOSITE EXTREMITY OF SAID MEMBER, SAID ELONGATEDMEMBER HAVING SPACED GUIDEWAYS RECEIVING PORTIONS OF SAID CONNECTING MEMBER, SAID CONNECTING MEMBER INCLUDING OPPOSITE SECTIONS EACH HAVING A SADDLE PORTION, A TRANSVERSE PANEL, AND A PORTION ENGAGING ONE OF SAID SPACED GUIDEWAYS, SAID SECTIONS BEING INTERCONNECTED AT SAID TRANSVERSE PANELS, SAID SADDLY PORTIONS BEING ENGAGABLE EXCLUSIVELY WITH THE TAPERING RIDGE OF THE OTHER OF SAID RAILS TO CENTER SAID CONNECTING MEMBER BETWEEN SAID CHANNEL; AND 